First Drive: 2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe

Minneapolis, MN — The 2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe is the latest entrant in the somewhat topsy-turvy world of the four-door crossover coupe. That’s a body style started by the Germans and one that has been adapted to varying degrees of success by the Japanese, but this is the first time the Koreans have gotten in on the deal. While “coupe” has historically meant two doors, these four-door coupes are given more aggressive lines than their traditional SUV counterparts (the GV80 will continue to exist as a traditional SUV as well), some neat stylistic adds an in the case of this newest Genesis, some chassis tweaking for a more athletic feel.

The 2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe aims to continue the successful journey of its SUV twin, adding a sloping roofline and a few other stylistic tweaks to appeal to younger buyers. In addition to that, they have tweaked the handling and added more performance to help separate this particular Genesis from the flock.

I will say, however, that as I make my way through the mostly nice but sometimes pockmarked streets of Minneapolis, MN, I’m happy that if even Genesis has tweaked things in the name of more performance, they haven’t gone too far as to detract from the everyday usability of the GV80. To date, that has been the best-riding Genesis product this side of the G90 full-size sedan and you’d hate for the new one to stray too far from that formula.

Indeed, even with its standard 22-inch diamond cut wheels (smaller 20” options are available in the US, or as part of a standard snow tire package in Canada), the GV80 Coupe’s soft ride is befitting of a vehicle in the luxury space. That, of course, is helped by the “Ergo Motion” seats that adjust themselves on longer drives to ensure both the driver and front passenger are as comfortable and supported as possible.

The wheels are just one of the great details that make this latest Genesis stand out from the crowd. A favourite amongst journalists at the launch event was the “ducktail” style rear spoiler that recalls European sports coupes of days gone by, as well as 2022s very cool Genesis X Speedium Coupe concept.

That wing pairs with a slightly more subtle roof-mounted spoiler to provide a look that is both modern and classic all at once. Being a Genesis, the GV80 Coupe gets all that brand’s signatures as well: the parallel grilles on the front fenders, dual-lens headlights and taillights and the “G-Matrix” grille.

Other changes from SUV to Coupe include new front air vents, new rear splitter and a little muscle thanks to quad tailpipes.

There are a number of both metallic and matte colour choices, but the GV80 Coupe is the only Genesis product to get the new Bering Blue exterior colour seen here, which is shaded to look like the icy waters of the Bering Strait. Which is very cool, both figuratively and…literally? It looks properly modern, which makes sense when you realize that the concept was revealed only a year-and-a-half ago in Korea.

The one thing I would lime to have seen are some slightly larger fender flares and maybe less of a gap between the tires and their wheel wells. We’re guessing that Genesis’ new Magma performance line may have something to say about all this as the GV80 Coupe is ripe for that treatment.

Inside, we see more “eau de Genesis”, as it were; the lighting is spot-on, the central digital display seamlessly blends the gauges and infotainment display and the materials used are of the highest order. The diamond print on the seats (like the exterior colour, the dark blue and orange motif is a Coupe exclusive), aluminum bezels ‘round the gear selector dial and infotainment control and especially the carbon inserts on the dash and central stack all combine to provide some top-tier interior environs. The flat-bottom wheel and metal pedal surfaces to their part to add some athleticism to the proceedings.

In the practical sense, the 18-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio is ultra crisp and bassy and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is standard. An upcoming software update will provide wireless connectivity and that’s fine, but I can’t help but think that tech should be here already.

Genesis has designed the rear bottom seat cushion to tilt down and back if you tilt the rear seatback, which they say allows for basically as much rear seat room as the SUV even with the Coupe’s more sloped roofline. After spending a solid hour riding in the rear seat, I wasn’t entirely convinced that was the case but it’s definitely not as snug feeling in the Coupe as it looks from the exterior. The standard digital rear-view mirror means that the slightly smaller rear window opening doesn’t affect outward visibility. The only real interior issue I had was sometimes operating the infotainment control when I meant to be operating the gear select dial. I’m sure any GV80 owner will get used to that eventually, but it did get my goat throughout my drive.

In addition to looking more sporting, the Coupe gets a rigid chassis as well as a selection of drive modes to make it feel that much more the sportster. In Sport+ driving mode, for example, the suspension firms up, the steering gets a little heavier and the throttle response, that much quicker. No matter which more you’re in, of course, you have access to a generous 409 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque from a twin-turbo V6 that also gets an electric supercharger for smoother acceleration. Add an incredibly fast and smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission and you get a lively, athletic drive that is properly reflective of the couple-like styling.

The GV80 Coupe is an incredibly cool, slick and upmarket take on what Genesis has established over its short 10-year existence. Not sure I would have expected this from them even five years ago but here we are. The value-oriented luxury brand has gone just a little more big time, here, and that’s very cool.

Somewhat less cool is the pricing – the GV80 Coupe starts at $104,000 in Canada, which is almost 35 grand more than the GV80 SUV costs. Of course, the Coupe has more power, the unique styling bits the SUV doesn’t get and there’s always the great Genesis service program that includes winter tires, installation and storage for said tires and even a valet service. So while there may be some sticker shock for those looking to move from the SUV to the Coupe (or, indeed, something smaller to the Coupe), the Genesis, even at this price, has what it takes to take on those pesky Germans and Japanese.